Fragile
by xCastielsGirlx
Summary: Layton looked sadly at the teen who sat across from him. Luke's breathing was shallow and uneven. Luke/Layton. Inspired by songs who's lyrics I'll have at the start of each chapter and by THe FF where Luke is an Opium addict.
1. Fragile

**Sorry guys but it's another Luke fic! I love the kid! Inspired by the fic where Luke is an Opium addict and Delta Goodrem's 'Fragile'. Anyways, I better get on with this thing! P.S Luke is legal in this fic. He's 17!**

**WARNING! LaytonxLuke (Legal)**

**Fragile**

_Sometimes I feel like I'm alone  
Sometimes I feel like I'm not that strong  
Sometimes I feel so frail so small  
Sometimes I feel vulnerable  
Sometimes I feel a little fragile_

Layton looked at the teen who was slowly becoming a young man. This was one of the sadder occasions that he had him in his office though. For Luke it had all started with his friends. He had come to like a boy named Nathan Destrey. He had black hair which swept over his left eye. Luke trusted his best friend so naturally when he had given Luke some liquid in a glass bottle and told him to try it, he did so. The feeling that came over Luke was one of utter contentment. He stumbled and tripped but the drug made the fall painless. He stood up and giggled feeling a rush go through his body. He thanked his friend and took a detour home. He went by the park. Everything looked pretty, the colours more vibrant than usual. In his zoned out state, Luke noticed it was getting dark.

By the time he got the front door, he was about to put his keys in when it swung open. There in the threshold was the Professor. He looked worried.

"Luke, where have you been?" He asked. Luke just grinned.

"I'm sorry Professor but I was with my friends," He said. Technically it was true. He just wasn't doing innocent things with them. Luke walked past the Professor and went to his room. The Professor looked even more shocked. Luke went upstairs to his room and closed his door. He withdrew the small bottle from his small bag he had had since he first started being the Professors apprentice. He let out a laugh. He had managed to trick the Professor! He hugged his bottle and put it in his bedside drawer. He withdrew his sketchbook and started to draw. Several hours later at about midnight, Luke heard the Professor climbing the stairs. Layton could see the light from under Luke's door. He knocked and heard a vague 'Come in' from the other side. He was met by a Luke sprawled out on his bed with drawings around him. Luke looked tiredly at the Professor a small grin gracing his features.

"I didn't even know that I could draw this well!" Luke exclaimed shoving handfuls of drawings into the Professors arms. The Professor looked in awe at the grace and beauty of each one. They all had the same theme. It was of heaven and hell. Luke had drawn them both with extreme accuracy. Heaven consisted of angels and blurred shapes. Hell was the worst though. The explicit detail was too much for the Professor. He frowned. Luke saw the expression and his face dropped.

"Oh, you don't like them," before the Professor could say anything Luke had snatched them out of his hands and tore them up.

"I'll start again then," he said quietly and retrieved more paper from his bedside table. The bottled rolled around innocently in the drawer as Luke withdrew more paper. There were tears glistening in his eyes as he scrawled roughly on the paper. Layton was captivated by the bottle. He grabbed it whilst Luke was preoccupied with his drawing. Luke barely noticed after an hour when the Professor had left the room. Luke yelled triumphantly when he had finished. It was a drawing of him and Layton together in a park after they had solved a mystery. I was before Flora had come and gone in their lives. (Now married with a child along the way). He looked up with a smile which disappeared when he realised the Professor had left. Tears stung his eyes again. He reached into his bedside table to get another shot of the drug when he realised it wasn't there. He panicked. How long had he been drawing. He looked at his pocket watch. He gulped. His breathing was shorting out and he felt dizzy. He whimpered as he collapsed onto the floor.


	2. Iris

**Second chapter in second day! I'm doing well! Unfortunately my next update might not be until Monday, if not then maybe tonight but I have a lot of homework I need to do as well.**

**Thanks so much for my reviews! Smiley1Face23 CrazyPurpleDancingFreak and The Phantomess of the Opera! **

**WARNING! LaytonxLuke (Legal)**

_And I don't want the world to see me  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am._

Layton heard a crash from next door. He sat bolt up in his bed. Forgetting why he had left Luke in the first place, he ran to the young adult's room to find him on the floor.

"Luke! Can you hear me?" Layton asked. No answer. He took the boy in his arms and shook his shoulders gently. Luke stirred and opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he did was turn to the side and vomit. Tears ran down his humiliated and sweaty face. Layton rubbed his back. Luke was gasping for air. The Professor stood up to get a wet rag for Luke. He felt something tug at his pyjama shirt. He looked down to see Luke.

"Don't leave, please." He pleaded. Layton sighed and grabbed the teen's hand.

"I'll be right back," he promised. Luke reluctantly let go.

Layton walked out of the room and into the bathroom. He grabbed a rag and wet it under the cold tap. He looked up in the mirror to see his apprentice standing behind him. He jumped.

"Luke, you should be resting," The Professor said shocked. Luke sat on the toilet seat his breathing shallow.

"Do you know what it is?" He asked quietly, had Layton not seen the boys lips move; he would've thought he'd imagined it. It took him a while to get what Luke was talking about. He suddenly remembered the little bottle. The Professor's face dropped as he wiped the boy's face with the cool rag. Luke leant into the Professors touch.

"Yes Luke, I know what it is." The Professor sighed. Luke looked at his mentor's disappointed face.

"Tell me Luke, why would you think of even _touching _Heroin?" He asked. Luke looked away.

"I didn't know what it was. My friends just offered it to me and I took it." He answered. Layton sighed.

"You're disappointed, I know. Just tell me what you want to say. I'm a man, I can take it." He said taking a deep breath. Layton was shocked. He looked at the boy.

"What do you want me to say Luke?" He asked. Luke looked desperate.

"Tell me you're disappointed; you don't want me as an apprentice; you think I'm a monster; you're going to kick me out if I don't get clean. Please Professor, shout at me; I can't stand this silence any longer!" He pleaded with tears coming to his eyes. Layton sighed and shook his head.

"My boy," He started but didn't get to finish. Luke had stood up and was raging.

"COME ON! You must have _something _to shout at me about! I lied, this isn't the first time, and I knew exactly what it was!" He yelled. This got the Professor.

"You _lied?_" He asked suddenly furious. Luke froze. He'd been asking for this.

"Yes," He whispered. The fragility in that one word almost made the Professors walls crumble but then he was reminded of the cause of his rage when he saw pin pricks up and down Luke's arm.

_***Flashback***_

_Luke looked at Nathan. He knew what was in the bottle. Nathan was obviously oblivious to the fact Luke had taken it several times before him._

"_Go on Luke!" Nathan said enthusiastically when the drug had kicked in. Luke smiled. He knew what he was doing. He took a stronger dose than Nathan though. He placed the needle above one of his veins. There was a little bit of blood but Luke injected the Heroin none the less. _

_A feeling of ecstasy washed over him._

_***End of Flashback***_

Layton looked at Luke with fury. Luke swallowed. He could see the Professor clench and unclench his fists. His knuckles were white. Layton forgot all about being a gentleman and slapped Luke across the face. Luke hadn't been expecting this but he took it nonetheless. His cheek stung with the force of the hit. His head had turned to the side. He took steadying breaths to calm himself and to stop the tears from falling.

Luke couldn't keep eye contact with the man as to show him how broken he was. Layton looked at shock at the red hand mark.

"Luke, I'm so-"

"It's okay sir, you just did what you had to. After all, I told you to take your anger out on me." He replied, his voice breaking the tiniest bit. He left the bathroom to clean up the mess in his room. Once that had been done, he took the recent picture he had drawn and hugged it to his chest, letting the tears slip down his cheeks and wet the art. Luke knew what he had to do. He placed the picture on his pillow and scrawled a quick note before scaling the apartment out of his window. He looked once more towards the place he called home; back to the man he loved and then ran.

…PROFESSOR LAYTON…

_And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming  
Or the moment of truth in your lies  
When everything seems like the movies  
Yeah you bleed just to know your alive_

Layton was pacing about his room when he heard a disturbance. He h=ignored it and continued pacing.

He had just hit Luke.

He had _hit _Luke!

The Professor paced his room back and forth, back and forth. _I HIT Luke!_Was all he could think about. Tears threatened to come but he couldn't let them fall. The broken look in his apprentices eyes when he walked out of the bathroom. Sure the boy had lied but… but… He was shocked at his own behaviour.

_Luke lied to you!_

_You love him though!_

_You shouldn't love a boy!_

_You need to apologise!_

_He deserved it!_

_Did you see the hurt?_

_You caused that!_

_The brokenness…_

_Why should he look like that?_

_That look is not natural on his face._

_He should be laughing,_

_Like before. He laughs when he's with you._

_You've seen that look in his eyes; he loves you that way too._

_Make it up to him, it won't be easy though._

_There must be a reason behind this. Problems? At ho-_

"No!" Layton whispered. The artwork came swimming to his mind. He collapsed onto his bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

'

'

'

Luke had been out on the street for a few hours now. He sighed and watched his breath curl up and disappear into the night. He rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. He walked onto the field that he and Layton had pic-nicked on in Luke's picture. He was 12. He saw the oak tree as it still had been all those years ago. He sighed remembering a conversation.

_***Flashback***_

_Luke laughed as a butterfly perched on the end of his nose. The butterfly flew away, its beautiful wings batting in the air. He leant against the oak tree and watched the Professor get some cake out of the basket._

"_Professor, do you trust me?" It was a random question. Layton looked surprised._

"_Of course I do Luke. I wouldn't be where I am today without trusting you!" He replied smiling._

"_Why'd you ask?" He smiled at the boy as he leant back and stared at the clouds._

"_No reason," He relied. That was the day Luke Triton fell in Love with Hershel Layton…_

_***End of Flashback***_

Luke sadly smiled at the memories that tree held. He smiled. The Professor didn't trust him now though. He had lied to him and now he's run away. He let his tears fall only that once. He collapsed under the tree. It was in the middle of the forest. Only he and Layton knew how to get there unless you had the directional skills of a pointer dog. He closed his eyes, reminiscing, not noticing the cold bite at his cheeks.

…PROFESSOR LAYTON…

Layton woke with a headache. He rolled over hoping that last night had been a dream. He opened his eyes to see the bottle of Heroin on his desk. A weight set in his stomach. He pulled himself out of his bed and went to check on Luke. He opened the teen's door. A cold draught swept over his feet. He looked at the empty room. _Surely he's just downstairs eating breakfast? _His conscience tried to reason with him. He couldn't be though. The bed was neat and unslept in. The room had an unfriendly aurora about it. It was spotless apart from two pieces of paper on Luke's bedside table. He walked over to the window and shut it. He turned to the pieces of paper and a feeling of dead settled neatly in his stomach. He saw the drawing of him and Luke in the park. It was beautiful and made Layton smile. He saw the stains of dried tears on it and turned to the piece of lined paper that accompanied the picture. It read the following.

_Professor, when you find this, I will most probably already gone. If I haven't you'll most probably want to know what I'm doing. If I'm there with you, I will tell you in person…_

_If you've read this far, I'm guessing that I haven't come back. I'll explain why I did what I did. I first tried it with Flora's husband. He was nice to me and took an interest in my drawings. He told me about some stuff and we got talking. One day he brought some substance that had been dissolved in water before injecting it. He asked me if I wanted to try it so I did. I trusted him as you did me. When I found out it was Heroin I was shocked. I somehow wanted more though and So he's been supplying me since. A few days ago though when he was meant to send his supply, I just got a letter saying he was clean. I was a bit upset but then realised how selfish I was being. I wrote him a letter to congratulate him. Seeing as he had a baby on the way, I'm guessing that he didn't want to be on drugs when it came into the world. _

_The next time I got some was when you found out. Somehow Nathan had got a hold of a few bottles and gave one to me. You know the rest. It is for this reason that I am leaving and saving you the bother of kicking me out._

_I hope that when we meet again in the future, I will be a better man. And one more thing, I love you._

_Frome your ex- number one apprentice,_

_Luke_

Layton's world was spinning. Luke had run away from home. Well, _was _it a home? The Professor was working later each night. He had been neglecting the young boy, had missed him turning into a man. When he looked back on things, he could understand how Luke could have easily fallen into the wrong crowd at school. Layton was absent most of those years. He looked around the boy's room and saw things he had never noticed before. There were posters of favourite rock bands, mainly consisting of Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. He looked in the boys boxes of what once held toys but just saw his CD player and a lot of writing and drawing utensils. He found a leather bound book under the boy's pillow. He flicked to the latest entry…

_Dear diary,_

_I'm thinking about telling the Professor about my addiction. I'm not too sure how he'll take it. I had some again with Nathan. I was late home and I think I hurt his feelings…_

…

_Dear Diary, I've just been found out. I'm running away. The only place I can think to go is the clearing we found by accident and had a picnic there. That's the only place I can think of._

_Love from Luke._

Layton stared at the entry. He grabbed the picture and got dressed. As soon as he did that, he ran into the cold and into his Laytonmobile. He raced down the road to the edge of the woods. He parked in the empty car park. He ran out of his car and to the path he and Luke had marked by carving a letter into a tree along the way. He soon found the clearing and a small figure shivering under the huge oak. He ran up to it to see Luke shivering and sweating. Withdrawal symptoms. He shook the teen awake.

"Luke," He whispered. Luke turned over and muttered something only just audible.

"Trust me Professor," He whispered softly. The Professor's breath hitched. His trust in Luke had shattered like the fragile hope that Luke had of being forgiven when that hand crossed his face. He lifted the teen in his arms and carried him to the car. He turned the heating up as the boy slept in the backseat. Was it his fault that Luke had started to take drugs? He had ignored him, became distant after Claire's death. Just as Clive had said. He had not noticed the attwmpts Luke had made to try to bring his Professor back to the waking world. Layton liked the sound of the terminology.

_Luke's _Professor


	3. Mad World

**A/N: Just as I promised, A chapter on Monday. :) Bad news is, this might be the last one coz it might be ending soon :( It depends if you want me to do an epilogue or not. Anyways, I wrote some of this on PictoChat on my D.S on the Weekend up in Bath. Oh and I've got a cold. Lol. Anyways, I'll present you with (maybe) the last chapter…**

**WARNING: Layton/Luke(Legal)**

_I find it kind of sad  
The dreams in which I'm dying  
Are the best I've ever had  
I find it hard to tell you  
'Cos I find it hard to take  
When people run in circles  
It's a very, very  
Mad World_

When Luke awoke, he thought he was dead. The weak, winter sun was coming through a gap in his curtains and shining on his face making him feel ill. He groaned and turned over on his bed when it suddenly felt too hot. He threw off his blankets and roughly opened the window. The cool morning air felt good on his fevered face. He collapsed into the chair in front of it and watched the morning traffics zooming past his bedroom window. He was so busy doing this that he didn't realise the Professor was watching him from his open door until he cleared his throat. Luke jumped and span around to face the Professor. He started to hyperventilate so the Professor ran up to him calm him.

"Luke, calm down," He soothed. Luke instantly calmed at the Professors touch and his breathing eased. Layton relaxed as soon as Luke did and then felt his forehead.

"You're burning up Luke. You're going through withdrawal." He announced. Luke swallowed, waiting for the shouting. The Professor raised his hand away from Luke's forehead and saw the boy flinch as he raised it above his head to sort his Top Hat out. The Professor suddenly felt guilty. He lowered his hand and took hold of Luke's.

"I'm not going to hurt you Luke, I promise. I'm sorry for hitting you, I lost control." He apologised, squeezing his eyes shut letting a tear escape as he wrapped his hand around Luke's wrist. Luke opened his eyes to look at Professor Layton. He freed his wrist from Layton's grip. Layton almost whimpered at the loss of contact but was then stunned as Luke wrapped his arms around his waist and hugged him. He could hear the teen sobbing.

"I'm sorry for taking the drugs Professor!" He sobbed over and over again. Layton wrapped his arms around Luke and rubbed soothing circles on his back. Luke started to shiver as the withdrawal symptoms started to kick in. Layton helped him to his feet and laid him down on his bed under the blue blankets.

"No it's too hot!" Luke complained and tossed around on his bed. Layton steadied him.

"It's the fever Luke; you need to wait it out." He instructed. The weak whimper that Luke let out broke the Professors heart. More tears slipped from his eyes.

"Make the pain go away Professor, please." He whispered as the convulsions started and he started to twitch. The Professor was at a loss until he remembered what always calmed the boy.

"If you break me, I do not stop working, if you touch me, I may be snared, if you lose me, nothing will matter." The Professor smiled as Luke smiled and began to drift off to sleep.

"Your heart," He whispered. Layton smiled as Luke's grip in his hand slackened and the boy fell asleep. Layton stood and looked at the boy before retreating to his office. He collapsed onto his chair and rested his head in his arms and rubbed his eyes. It was affecting him more than it should have. His heart ached so painfully at the thought of losing Luke to the drug. He glanced up and saw the offending bottle on his desk with the syringe next to it. He growled as he stared at it but the phone distracted him. He stood up and walked over to it and answered it.

"Hello, this is Hershel Layton speaking how may I-" He was cut off by Flora.

"Professor! I've just given birth, it's a girl!" She yelled excitedly. Layton's mouth went dry.

"Con-congratulations Flora!" he congratulated. He collapsed onto the chair again and rubbed his head.

"I've been thinking about the name Luka; after Luke." She gushed.

"Th-that would be great!" He choked. Flora wished him well then she hung up leaving the Professor still holding the phone with the dialling tone singing in his ear. He swallowed and hung up. He was angry for some reason. It might've been where Flora had just given birth to the son of the person responsible for the shaking wreck upstairs. Layton shook it off. Maybe if he was there he would've been able to help him say no. He sighed as he walked out of his office and made himself a cup of Earl Grey. He was sipping his tea when he heard a shout from Luke's bedroom. He dropped his teacup, making it smash, and ran up to the place where he heard the yell. He burst through the door to see Luke writhing around on the bed, his feet tangled up in the sheets and sweating too much to be healthy. Layton approached him and grabbed his wrist.

"Come on Luke, you can fight it!" He half yelled. Luke groaned and rolled about some more. His eyes kept on flickering between open and closed. He suddenly stopped. Stopped moving, stopped shouting, stopped breathing… and so did Layton.

…PROFESSOR LAYTON…

Layton felt his world crashing down around him as he watched the paramedics fight to keep Luke alive. He kept on praying and praying for a miracle that would help Luke fight it off and live. He watched as one of them shook his head. Layton felt as though he had just been crushed by two million tonnes of bricks. He burst through the door, ignoring the Paramedics.

"NO LUKE!" He sobbed. The paramedics wrestled him back and got back to work on the boy. Layton was scared. Utterly and completely terrified.

…PROFESSOR LAYTON…

Luke woke up to the sound of beeping and the smell of disinfectant. His head hurt and his throat dry from lack of water. He coughed slightly as he felt a drip down his throat. The beeping quickened as he panicked. He felt a hand grab his. He unconsciously squeezed back as he coughed harder. He felt a cold absence as people started to work on him again. He whimpered but the drip was soon removed and a cool glass being pressed into his hand. He felt the condensation under his fingertips. He gulped it down and opened his eyes for the first time. Everything was blurry and he had to blink a few times to get used to the light. Everything was white.

"Am I in heaven?" He croaked. He heard a sob of relief. Luke turned on his side to see the Professor.

"No Luke, you're in the Hospital. We almost lost you." Layton had red rimmed eyes with bags under them.

"How long have I been out?" Luke asked quietly. Layton smiled and took Luke's hand again and started to trace patterns on the palm.

"3 weeks. Flora has given birth, she called it Luka after you; it's a girl and you no longer have any of the drug in you." He said factually. He would've sounded like his old self had it not been for the distracted note in his voice.

"Professor, there's been something I've wanted to tell you for a while now. It may come as a shock but I- I- I love you," He blushed and looked away.

"I'm guessing by that blush you mean it more than in a fatherly or friendly way." The Professor told him. Luke nodded, still refusing to meet the Professor's eyes.

"That's perfect then," he whispered as he leaned towards Luke and pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to the boy's lips.

"I like you that way too Luke," He admitted. Luke smiled and kissed the Professor again. He pulled away.

"Do you hate me for what I did Professor?" He asked. Layton smiled.

"I am disappointed but it was partly my fault as well. If I had paid more attention I would have realised it sooner and we may have been able to avoid such things but I don't hate you, I never will." He reassured. That was all Luke needed before he hugged the Professor.


	4. Epilogue

**I couldn't just leave it there! An epilogue. Thank you so much for all the support I've received during this and if you've read this after it's finished, thanks for the view. **

**Epilogue**

Luke got out of the hospital a week later with The Professor by his side. The first stop was to go see Flora. She had heard about the situation and what was going on between Layton and Luke. She fully supported them. Luke knocked on the door of the little cottage. Flora answered the door with a redheaded baby in her arms.

"Luke, Professor! Come on in!" She ushered them into her home and made them some tea. Luke stared at Luka. She had her father's apple green eyes and her mother's soft red hair.

"Would you like to hold her Luke?" Flora asked. Luke's throat was tight as he nodded. The warm bundle was placed into his arms. The sleeping babe awoke and looked at Luke. She giggled and grabbed his pinkie with her whole hand.

"She recognises her uncle," Flora whispered. Luke had tears streaming from his face.

"She's beautiful," He sniffed. Luka snuggled into Luke's chest. He passed Luka to the Professor. Luka giggled again and reached for the Professors famed Top Hat. Layton chuckled and took it off to put onto the little girl. It slipped over her head and she giggled more. The two men held the little girl whilst conversing with Flora.

As they let the sun was sinking low in the sky, painting the clouds pink.

"C'mon Luke, let's go home." Layton smiled and entwined his fingers with Luke's.

"Home," Luke sighed happily and the two climbed into the Laytonmobile and drove off in the direction of the falling sun, looking forward to a loving and bright future.

**

* * *

**

**Thirteen years later…**

"We're going to be late!" Luke worried. Layton was walking calmly beside him and took his lovers hand.

"I'm sure she won't mind us being a couple of minutes late, after all, a gentleman never runs." He stated. Luke sighed.

"A gentleman never keeps a lady waiting, even if said Lady might've dyed your Top Hat," Luke smiled and Layton grimaced.

"Okay then," He walked a little quicker and the two arrived at platform nine. A redheaded teen with a beagle on a lead waved at the.

"Uncle Luke! Uncle Hershel!" She yelled. The two approached her.

"Hey Luka," Luke greeted.

"Another adventure so soon?" She asked with wide eyes. She reminded the Professor of a younger Luke but the stubbornness of being left alone reminded him of Flora.

"Yep, The Mystery of Perpendice." Luke stated, looking at the invitation. Luka nodded. Her short hair was cut into a style like Luke had when he was ten.

"Did you bring a dress?" Layton asked. Luka sighed.

"Nope, I brought a tux instead. I don't like dresses!" She complained. Luke sighed.

"Okay, you look like a boy then," Luke smiled.

"I want to be just like you Uncle Luke!" She exclaimed and hugged both her uncles. The two men sighed.

"Let's go solve this mystery then." Layton smiled as the three of them boarded another train to go to Perpendice Manor.

Layton smiled. Things couldn't have turned out more perfect for him.


End file.
